Sunday, June 20, 2010

We Love Legos!


If the picture doesn't say it, I don't know if there is anything I can say that could express what the LEGO means to the Roberts Boys (that would be me, Ethan, Caleb, and Daddy, in case you were wondering). And with a new Roberts Boy on the way (due out in October) and an ever expanding LEGO Universe, Mama's gonna have to create a special LEGO Budget for us.

Seriously, though, can you think of a toy that accomplishes so much with so little? I dare you to find a toy that can do all this:

"They're cool! They're fun to build! They make all my favorite characters! I love the Millenium Falcon because it's a big ship I can play with, has the coolest figures like Han Solo and Chewbacca, and I can see it in my LEGO Star Wars games. What isn't there to love about LEGOs?"

Ethan, my eldest brother by four minutes, often takes his favorite minifigs to bed with him. Among the many favorites are his Yoda minifig (the first LEGO minifig to have shortened legs), Han Solo (who can't admire a guy who takes an insult like "half-witted, scruffy lookin', nerf herder" and only question the scruffy-lookin' part of it?) and General Grevious (not the coolest recreation ever but the dude can still wield four lightsabers).

"You can make anything out of LEGOs! And there are minfigures you can't find anywhere else. The Republic Gunship is my favorite because it is one of my favorite vehicles from Star Wars Republic Commandos and now I can actually build it and play with it. How cool is that? LEGOs have got to be the sickest toys ever!"

Caleb, my older brother and Ethan's twin counterpart, is also very fond of LEGOs but perfers the challenge of building to playing, although he has been known to pilot a lego ship or two in the right situation. And while he says the Republic Gunship is his fave, I've seen him on many occasion playing with the Rogue Shadow and Galen Marek (otherwise known as Vader's Apprentice, from The Force Unleashed).

And then there's my Dad...


"I love LEGOs, have ever since I was a wee American lad living in a Germany divided by The Wall. Had I known then how close I was to where the whole LEGO thing got started, I might have tried to persuade my folks to take me to the factory. We traveled a lot when we were in Europe. It just might have happened.

"I was hooked on two sets back then, the original LEGO Castle and LEGO Space themed sets. I remember building the sets then tearing them down to their original pieces to then build my own creation (now referred to as MOCs in the LEGO builders community as if our world didn't have enough acronyms to sort out). Those creations were usually raced down the hallway of our home to smash into whatever creation my opponent had racing to meet mine. They were spectacular crashes.

"The LEGO Universe has grown in ways I could have only dreamed back then. Now we have Star Wars, Sponge Bob, Indiana Jones, Batman, Harry Potter, Toy Story and even Prince of Persia (Seriously Disney? Do you have to have your hand in every cookie jar? Disney recently acquired Marvel Entertainment for those of you who didn't know). And that's not even mentioning the awesome sets totally LEGO like the Power Miners, Agents, Pirates, Trains, Exo Force and, of course, the classics, City, Castle, and Space (and all of their awesome variations).

"But aside from the obvious creative play possibilities, this toy works fine motor skills, reasoning skills, and the ability to follow directions to reach a goal. This 'toy' does it all. The only unfortunate thing about LEGOs is the price. Getting some of the good stuff can be a real hit in the pocket change!"

Well, now that my Dad is done droning on and on (I think he likes the sound of his words.), I thought I'd share a thought or two about my experiences with LEGO. I really love the SpongeBob Squarepants LEGOs. Seeing Squidward, SpongeBob, Patrick, Gary, and Mr. Krabs as LEGO minifigs is pretty cool. I'm also a big fan of the Batman LEGOs, although trying to get your paws on some of those now almost requires a small signature loan. It's insane what the value of these sets do once they're off the shelf.


So what's it all mean? We love LEGOs, all LEGOs without exception to color, shape, or function. Peace and may you find as much joy building and playing as we do.

Hunter

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Memorial Day Fun

In true American Family tradition, we barbecued some dogs (hot dogs that is) and burgers, had awesome potato salad, chips, Rootbeer, this really good Snicker salad, and loads of fun on the new backyard waterpark. It was quite the housefull and backyardfull as well.

But before the fun could begin, Dad had some work to do on the backyard, a part of our home which often gets neglected for other activities, like Mom and Dad having breakfast together before Dad disappears for his daytime sleep. Here's a look at the backyard before Dad went to work on it:





After Dad finished his business with the backyard, there was nothin' holding us back from hours of fun in the sun. Summertime rocks!






Oh, but the fun didn't stop there, no sir. We just kept right on going all through the day and into the evening. It was AWESOME!




I love big family get-togethers. We always have so much fun and good, yummy food. Yes, I'm trying a little bit of everything now, without much hesitation. I'm actually starting to enjoy all kinds of neat foods, but perhaps more about that another day. Choa for now my peeps.